NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: India has tested two versions of its short-range missiles capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, a Defense Ministry official said Friday. In Islamabad, Pakistan's military says it has test-fired a short-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. The Pakistan army statement said the “Hataf 2” missile was successfully launched from an undisclosed location Friday. It said the surface-to-surface missile has a range of 111 miles (180 kilometers). It is the second such test by Pakistan in the past month. Armies routinely test-fire weapons but Pakistan's program is watched closely because it is a nuclear-armed nation that has fought three wars with neighbor India since 1947. In New Delhi, Indian officials said the first missile was test fired from a navy warship in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of eastern Orissa state. “The missile test was a success and hit the intended targets,” said defense ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar. The home-developed Dhanush, or Bow missile, is a ship-launched missile with a range of up to 220 miles (350 kilometers). An hour later, a second short-range missile was tested. The nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi missile was fired from India's missile testing range at Chandipur, also in Orissa, the defense ministry said. The Prithvi missile, which can hit targets up to 185 miles (295 kilometers) away, is already in use by the Indian army. Both missiles were tested Friday for timing, deployment and accuracy factors, the ministry said in a statement. The Dhanush is not yet in regular use by the navy. India is developing a range of other missiles to strengthen its defense capability, including the medium-range Agni and Akash missiles, the anti-tank Nag, and the supersonic Brahmos missile, designed jointly with Russia. India's missiles are mostly intended for any confrontation with neighboring archrival Pakistan. But Friday's tests were unlikely to aggravate tensions between India and Pakistan as both countries routinely conduct missile tests.
